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The Ryan Leak Podcast

Mother Nature vs. Mother Nurture

09 Feb 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.79 - 18.237 Ryan Leak

What's going on, my friends? Welcome back to the Ryan League Podcast, where we love to keep things short and sweet for you each and every week. We always want to give you a little something to add value to your life and inspire your week. Today's episode is entitled Mother Nature vs. Mother Nurture. Mother Nature vs. Mother Nurture.

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18.958 - 41.158 Ryan Leak

There is an age-old debate that shows up everywhere, from psychology classrooms to locker rooms to good old-fashioned family dinners. Mother nature versus mother nurture. In other words, what are we born with versus what are the things that can actually shape us and change us? It's like sometimes you look at these people.

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41.425 - 52.904 Ryan Leak

who are leaders, and we would use a phrase like they're a natural born leader. It's like some people, it's like they were wired for success. And then you're over there just like, dude, am I just lazy?

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Chapter 2: What is the debate between Mother Nature and Mother Nurture?

54.627 - 78.308 Ryan Leak

What were we born with versus they just work really hard? What were we born with versus they just put their 10,000 hours in? It's interesting. I was asked the other day if I think people are born with it. If people are born with it, you know what it is, that resilience, that leadership, that confidence, that drive to win. Are some people just wired differently?

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78.348 - 96.964 Ryan Leak

Or can you put your 10,000 hours in? And here's what the research actually says. Yes, we are born with some predispositions. Genetics do matter. I was reading a study about twins actually the other day. It actually came out of the Minnesota Twin Family Study.

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97.865 - 124.301 Ryan Leak

They actually found that roughly 30 to 50% of personality traits like temperament, emotional reactivity, optimism, and even leadership tendencies can be attributed to genetics. So if you've ever thought, I've always just been this way, you're not completely wrong. Because some people are more naturally calm. Some people are naturally more sensitive. Some people are naturally wired for risk.

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124.702 - 151.067 Ryan Leak

Some people are naturally wired for routine. But that's only half of the story. The other half of the story and the other half of the research suggests that environment can matter just as much as upbringing. In fact, one neuroscientist, he showed that the brain is highly plastic. I believe his name is Michael Gazzaniga is his name. You can look up his stuff.

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151.087 - 172.412 Ryan Leak

But he had this idea that the brain is highly plastic, meaning it changes based on experience, especially in response to stress, especially when you're trying to learn something new, especially when you're in some unique relationships. These are things that can form things in your brain. So

172.392 - 197.758 Ryan Leak

When you begin to think about your upbringing, your mentors, your trauma, your opportunities, the money you had or the money you did not have, all of those things don't just influence behavior. They actually shape how your brain develops. And so when we talk about something like resilience, you know, some people think, well, people are just born resilient.

197.958 - 223.026 Ryan Leak

Well, the research would actually suggest otherwise. In fact, Resilience researchers, one of my favorites is Ann Mastin, she showed that resilience is not a fixed trait. It's a set of learnable skills, strongly influenced by supportive relationships, coping strategies, and meaning making skills. After adversity. Meaning making.

223.467 - 246.379 Ryan Leak

Which means like somebody can take something really, really rough and they can make meaning from it. The reason I like Ann Mastin is because she famously called resilient ordinary magic. Yeah, like you can be an ordinary person and still make magic. That's what resilience gives you.

247.301 - 265.608 Unknown

So when we begin to think about this thing that feels like a superpower, it's not rare. It doesn't even make you elite. It's something that's built. Yeah, like you can have ordinary magic.

Chapter 3: How do genetics influence personality and success?

476.489 - 504.81 Ryan Leak

But if nature has not been on your side, you are not stuck. Because nurture is powerful. Nurture is intentional. And the thing that I love the most about mother nurture is that it's available to anyone willing to practice it. Here's the deal. Mother Nature may start the story, but Mother Nurture helps write the ending. And that's good news for all of us.

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505.751 - 529.137 Ryan Leak

My friends, thank you so much for listening to the Ryan Lee Podcast. If today's episode added value to your life, I would encourage you to share it with a friend. And hey, I send out an encouraging text each and every week. If you'd like to subscribe to those text messages, you could text the word podcast to 469-809-1201. That'll also be in the... Episode notes, if you want to get that number.

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529.277 - 550.446 Ryan Leak

Again, it's 469-809-1201. Text the word podcast to that and you'll start getting some encouraging text messages from me each and every week. We send out videos and episode links in case you missed it on that. And also, if you haven't had a chance to rate, review, or subscribe to this podcast, I would certainly appreciate that if you did. Hey, my friends, we'll see you next time.

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